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The skinks and anoles are the most widely
distributed and frequently seen lizards on the refuge, but careful searching in specific
habitats will sometimes turn up a few other species as well.

Skinks (Family Scincidae)

Ground skinks, Scincella
laterale, may be the most numerous lizard on the refuge, though they
are not usually seen if you don't specifically look for them. Any hammock habitat
with a decent layer of leaf litter that is not under water water will harbor
some of these small skinks. In some mesic hammocks, they are abundant.
Kick around some leaf litter or flip a few palm fronds over and you're
likely to see a couple as they slither back under cover. Maximum
length is only a couple of inches.

Southeastern five-lined skinks,
Eumeces inexpectatus, can be found on both the ground and in the trees,
especially on the trunks and larger branches of large oaks and palms. They can be
found in hammock habitats, especially around openings or trails, or on isolated palm trees
along the dikes. Large adult males don't have the blue tails, and develop a coppery-red
head during the summer breeding season.

Broad-headed
skinks, Eumeces laticeps, are
probably present too, but don't seem to be as common. To distinguish this
species from the above beyond doubt, you have to have them in hand and look at the scales on
the underside of the tail. Getting one of these guys in hand is far
more easily said than done.

Anoles (Family Polychrotidae, or
Iguanidae)

Our native species of anole, Anolis
carolinensis, is called the green anole, though it can be green, brown, bronze, or
any mixture of the two. These lizards are widespread in all forested habitats,
except for edges near areas of high human activity, where they seem to be mostly displaced
by the brown anole.

The brown anole, Anolis
sagrei, is a Cuban species that has spread throughout Florida.
They thrive in more open, warm, exposed habitats than green anoles, and at
Woodruff are most frequently seen around the lower
parking lot.
During the summer when lots of hatchlings are present, they are often found on the ground.
They seem to be penetrating farther into the hammocks recently, displacing
the native carolinensis. The bright orange dewlap of the males is distinctive.

Fence lizards (Family Phrynosomatidae)

The eastern fence lizard, or
swift, Sceloporus undulatus, is typical of the drier, more upland habitats such
as xeric hammock and pine woods, and the edges thereof. If you walk along the
fire breaks through the upland habitats just inside the refuge entrance,
and concentrate on fallen logs or branches in openings or on edges, you
might find some
of these lizards basking on t sunny days. They are not as active in foraging as
the anoles and racerunners, and are quite cryptic, so you need to look carefully.

Racerunners (Family Teiidae)

The six-lined racerunner, Cnemidophorus
sexlineatus, is also most frequently seen in the more open areas of upland habitats.
Look for them along the fire breaks through the xeric hammocks and pinewoods,
and along the sand road that parallels the railroad tracks just
before the entrance gate. Unlike fence lizards, these are very active foragers, and if
you see them, you'll probably see them on the move, methodically poking their snouts into
holes and low vegetation. As the name implies, when alarmed, they are incredibly
quick and difficult to catch.

Glass lizards (Family Anguidae)

Often confused for snakes,
these medium to large legless lizards can be found in hammock habitats and on the thick
grassy areas of the dike. Often, all you'll see is a head poking out of thick
vegetation or the ground, as these burrowers don't spend much time on the surface. Unlike
snakes, their bodies are shiny, hard to the touch, and not as flexible as
those of snakes. They also have eyelids and an external ear opening. Several
species may be present on the refuge, but the commonest is probably this one, the eastern
glass lizard, Ophisaurus ventralis.